


Lucky Dog Days

by Alisanne



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-08-12
Updated: 2009-08-12
Packaged: 2018-02-08 15:14:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1945947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alisanne/pseuds/Alisanne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry gets an education and an eyeful.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lucky Dog Days

**Title:** Lucky Dog Days  
 **Author:** [](http://alisanne.insanejournal.com/profile)[**alisanne**](http://alisanne.insanejournal.com/)  
 **Rating:** PG  
 **Pairing:** Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy  
 **Summary:** Harry gets an education and an eyeful.  
 **Word Count:** 1010  
 **Genre:** General  
 **Warnings:** None that I am aware of.  
 **A/N:** Written for [](http://asylums.insanejournal.com/harrylovesdraco/profile)[**harrylovesdraco**](http://asylums.insanejournal.com/harrylovesdraco/) 's prompt #8: [The dog days of summer](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_Days)  
 **Beta:** [](http://sevfan.insanejournal.com/profile)[**sevfan**](http://sevfan.insanejournal.com/)  
 **Disclaimer:** The characters contained herein are not mine. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.

  
~

Lucky Dog Days

~

“Can you explain to me,” Harry panted, placing a water glass against his cheek in a vain attempt to cool off, “why we’re doing this on the hottest day of the year? And why we can’t use a Cooling Charm?”

“Everyone knows you have to plant Gurdyroot during the dog days of summer, Potter,” Draco snapped, rolling his eyes. “And magic interferes with its germination. Honestly, did you pay any attention in school?”

Harry sighed. Why had he agreed to help Neville in his greenhouse in August? More importantly, why was Draco here, his shirt off, making Harry’s mouth water at the sight of all those rippling muscles even as he sounded uncannily like Hermione? “I didn’t know you were such a Herbology expert, Malfoy.”

“I’m not,” Draco said, taking a drink of his own glass of water. Harry’s gaze was captured by the movement of his Adam’s apple as he swallowed. “But Potions masters are expected to know _something_ about plants.” He put his glass down.

“That’s right, I’d heard you’re apprenticing to Slughorn.”

Draco made a face. “I would have preferred Severus, but that’s not possible.”

“He’s in Greece I hear,” Harry proffered.

Draco rolled his eyes. “He is. But I am not so crass as to ask the man to interrupt his honeymoon to instruct me.” Draco shook his head. “And that still sounds strange to say.”

Harry chuckled. “I know what you mean. Who knew Snape and Sinistra had been engaged all those years just waiting for the right time to get married?”

“I had no idea and he’s _my_ godfather,” Draco muttered. He glanced around the half-built greenhouse. “Right, break’s over. We only have a few more hours today to get these in the ground. After that it’ll be too late and Neville will be behind.”

Harry bit his lip. He was really curious as to the relationship between Neville and Draco but didn’t know how best to ask. When had they become friends, for example? “Okay. I’ll do this side,” he said, hefting a bag of seed to resume the planting.

Draco evidently enjoyed planting, given that a few minutes into it he was humming. Harry smiled. God, Draco was hot but he was definitely off-key! Wracking his brain to think of a topic to interrupt him, Harry finally blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Why do they call them ‘dog days’ anyway, I wonder?”

Raising his head, Draco blinked. “Excuse me?”

“You said these need to be planted during the dog days of summer, so I was wondering--”

“Oh, right.” Draco raised an eyebrow. “It’s a Greek term, actually. I’m surprised you don’t actually know this. It was named after Sirius, the dog star, which is the brightest star in the heavens at this time of the year, well, besides the Sun of course.”

“Oh.” Harry looked away. He hadn’t thought of Sirius in months. “Of course.”

“Don’t.”

Harry’s head snapped up. “What?”

Draco’s gaze was intense. Harry looked away after a second.

“Don’t take that burden on yourself,” Draco said. “He was an adult, he knew what he was doing. It’s not your fault he died.”

Harry’s mouth fell open. “How do you know about that?”

Draco shrugged. “Neville and I talk about...things,” he finally said. “I was...curious about your background and he told me about what happened to Black. Anyway, just... Look, I’ve had my share of people who I care about die, and you can’t blame yourself, Harry. Blame that monster if you have to.”

“I--” Harry blinked, not the least at the sound of his given name falling from Draco’s lips. Many people before Draco had told him he wasn’t responsible for Sirius, yet somehow, this time, it made sense. “Thanks. Draco.” The name lingered in his mouth. Interestingly enough, Harry liked the way it tasted.   
Apparently Draco noticed. He blushed. “Anyway, the ancients used to sacrifice a dog at the beginning of the dog days in order to try to appease Sirius so he would grant cooler weather.”

“Fun,” Harry muttered.

“Oh yes.” Draco wiped some sweat from his brow. “Although they did believe it was an unlucky time, so they can be excused I suppose.”

“I guess.” Harry eyed Draco thoughtfully. “So, um, when your apprenticeship is over, what are you going to do?”

“I’m not really sure.” Draco exhaled. “Neville and I have been discussing setting up shop together. He would run the Herbology side and I would make potions using his plants.”

“You and Neville are close,” Harry said.

Draco raised an eyebrow. “Is that jealousy I hear, Potter?”

Now it was Harry’s turn to blush. “You called me Harry before,” he said, voice soft.

Draco blinked. “So I did. Harry, then. Why do you ask? Do you have designs on Neville? I should warn you, Hannah is pretty possessive--”

“I’ve no designs on _Neville_ , no.” Harry stepped closer, deciding it was time to take a chance. Was he or was he not a Gryffindor, after all? “I was just...curious about you. I’m interested in you-- I mean your plans.”

This time Harry didn’t look away as Draco’s eyes searched his. After a long moment, Draco inclined his head. “Then by all means we should slake your curiosity, Harry. Over an ale later, perhaps?”

“I would like that,” Harry murmured, voice husky. He smiled, letting his eyes drift over Draco’s form, not stopping even when he knew Draco had noticed him. They moved closer.

“How’s it going out here?” Suddenly Neville was at the door, a satisfied look on his face.

Harry narrowed his eyes as Draco laughed softly. “We’re fine,” Draco said.

Neville grinned. “Great. See you both later, then.”

“I think we were set up,” Harry muttered, staring after Neville.

“You know, I believe you’re right.” Draco’s tone was amused. “Is that a problem?”

Harry smiled. Apparently the dog days were lucky for him. “No,” he whispered. “Not at all.”

~


End file.
